


Dot-Shots: L&V One-Shots

by Libby_25cSoda



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Death Star 2, Gen, Injury, Jabba's Palace, One Shot Collection, RotJ AU, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Libby_25cSoda/pseuds/Libby_25cSoda
Summary: Two ROTJ AU one-shots for the wonderful DotColorful!1. The negotiations with Jabba don't go as planned, and someone unexpected shows up in the middle of a fight.2. An unexpected complication in the form of Luke's reaction changes the outcome of the duel in the Emperor's throne room.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 53
Collections: 2020 Star Wars Luke & Vader Winter Exchange





	1. Derailed Plans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DotColorful](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DotColorful/gifts).



> DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!  
> it was so hard keeping this a secret for so long, especially in the compliment circle; I went back through your fics and our convos to look at ideas you’ve floated and the things you like to write to come up with these (mostly the second one), and it’s been really fun trying to dig into your brain. I hope I’ve done you justice and you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoy hanging out with you!  
> Do you understand how painful it was to keep silent during our convo on Monday talking about precisely this??? 😂 I was just lurking in the chat taking notes and checking my fic like “yes Dot will like this” lmao.  
> You asked for, quote, “angst, whump, general, hurt and comfort, happy endings, sad endings, BASICALLY PAIN”. WELL HERE IT IS, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the ever-wonderful SpellCleaver for beta-ing this first one-shot.

Luke gripped the Force pike he was given and glared up at the stand where Jabba sat, even though he couldn’t actually see the slug in the glare of the twin suns. He tugged at the collar around his neck, impatiently waiting for its Force-suppressant abilities to be turned off as promised.

All he had to do was survive a few arena fights, and they could all get out of here with Han in tow. Leia, still in her bounty hunter’s disguise minus the helmet, sat with Jabba as collateral in case Luke decided to try to escape without completing the fights.

He tuned out the Huttese announcements. Instead, he watched the row of lights under the Hutt’s box for his signal.

 _Red, red,_ **_green_**.

With a _click_ , the Force rushed back to him like air into lungs starving for oxygen. He gasped, going to one knee and dropping the pike for a precious moment as he re-adjusted. A rancor stormed out of the large door into the pit with him, roaring.

There was no grate to crush it under, this time. All he had was the Force pike; R2 had been kept too far away from them for there to be a convenient moment for him to return Luke’s new lightsaber to him.

Luke recovered in time to roll out of the way, cursing. He used the Force to pull the pike into his hands and turned it on, then crouched and waited for the rancor to come back at him.

It charged again, but this time he was ready. He waited until almost the last second to shift his body out of the way, leaving Jabba’s pet to run straight into the sparking pike.

It roared but didn’t go down. He shoved the tip into the beast’s leg again then quickly ducked backwards to avoid its swipe at his head and scrambled away, letting out a string of Huttese curses under his breath.

What was this thing’s weak point? Even one of those blows was supposed to be able to cut through durasteel! The stupid pike must be stuck on a lower setting.

There was no time to lament the lack of a better weapon as the rancor came at him again, reaching out a clawed hand. He got another hit in, but the creature was determined to have its next meal. It scooped him up and brought him towards its mouth - and, conveniently, its face.

 _Perfect_.

Luke stabbed the beast right in its eye, releasing a pulse at the same time and it _screamed_ . It dropped him, the staff sticking out of its face, still shocking it. He rolled out of the reach of the rancor’s stamping feet, and watched as its motions slowed, then stopped. It toppled over with a _crash_ hard enough to shake the arena. He closed his eyes against the puff of sand kicked up, holding his breath to avoid breathing it in. He gasped, eyes flying open, and almost fell all the way to the ground as the collar around his neck re-activated, cutting him off from the Force.

Jabba was railing, displeased, but Luke couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears.

Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him upright to face Jabba and his vision washed black for a moment before clearing. Gradually, the ringing faded and he could hear again. 

3PO’s voice rang out over the stands, translating.

“Although your skills are most impressive, the exalted Jabba is displeased with how quickly you dispatched his rancor, and decrees that your next fight is to be without the use of the Force.”

“What?” Luke shouted, alarmed. “I thought you wanted to see a _Jedi_ fight, I’m not a Jedi without the Force!”

Jabba spoke again and C3PO waited a moment before translating. “A longer fight as just the famous Luke Skywalker will suffice. He has heard tales of your youth, and finds your next opponents most fitting.”

The young Jedi looked with apprehension towards the large doors as the grip on his arm was released and the body of the rancor dragged away. Another Force pike was pressed into his hands.

_Red...red…_

**_Green._ **

Womp rats swarmed out into the arena, squealing and foaming at the mouth, clacking their teeth in anticipation. Luke didn’t hesitate: he charged the pike and ran up to meet the front of the pack, hoping to get at least a few hits in before they surrounded him.

He slashed and stabbed, skewering several and throwing them away, knocking still more out of the way to keep a few feet clear around him, blood splattering everywhere. He screamed when one unexpectedly jumped onto his back and tore into his left shoulder, claws digging deep enough into his skin to draw blood. Swinging the pike behind him, he managed to shake it off and clutched his bloody shoulder with his artificial right hand, pike still gripped in his left. Another bit into his leg and he stabbed it, sending a pulse down the pike. The thing twitched and died, its jaws loosening in death.

Cold washed over the arena before Luke became completely surrounded and the womps froze, even the two that had just latched onto his arm and leg. He took the opportunity to shock them off him and limped away, getting a little more space before looking around to see what scared them.

The blood froze in his veins when he saw the black mask standing just outside the doors the womps had come from.

 _Fa-- Vader_.

No, no, no, this wasn’t supposed to be happening so soon, he’d just gotten a new lightsaber made and was so close to rescuing Han. He wasn’t ready to face his-- to face Vader yet. He still needed to go back and talk to Yoda and Obi-Wan, still needed to free his friend from the carbonite.

Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his grip on the blood-slicked Force pike and waited for Vader to make the first move. Without acknowledging Luke further, he tilted his mask to face Jabba.

“What,” he said, voice echoing throughout the arena, “is the meaning of this, _Hutt_?”

Jabba laughed, a sound that made Luke twist his face in disgust.

“ _An arena fight featuring the last Jedi. Surely one such as yourself can appreciate that; you’ve killed so many of them personally. If the boy wins, he and his friends go free. If he loses, well. We could always use more slaves here, and I’m quite fond of my new wall decoration, which I understand I have you to thank for, no?_ ”

Before 3PO could translate, Vader responded, “You presume incorrectly, scum. Release the boy, his friends, and their droids to me and I might be merciful.”

“ _For what price?_ ”

“Your life,” the Sith growled.

Luke backed up further, for all the good it would do. If Vader wanted to take them, he would. Their confrontations in the past had shown that Luke was no match for him, and especially not like this, cut off from the Force, armed with only a dialed-down Force pike. He’d have to think of something other than a direct confrontation to ensure Leia and Han made it out alive; Lando hadn’t been found out yet, hopefully he could still escape on his own.

“ _Surely we can negotiate--_ ”

“I grow tired of your stalling, Hutt. Release them to me now and I may spare you, I will not ask again.”

“ _I don’t see why_ \--”

“Then you have chosen your fate,” Vader growled out of his vocoder, and leapt into action, lightsaber alight.

The crowd scattered, screams ringing out into the desert as the behemoth of a man landed in the stands and began slicing his way towards Jabba’s box at the top. Luke stood frozen until he heard Leia scream.

“Leia!” he shouted, running towards the stands himself.

If his father could do it, then surely…

The young Jedi ran up to the stands and tried to gather the Force around himself, forgetting in his haste that the kriffing collar had cut him off of it. At the last second he twisted to the side to slow his crash into the wall, cursing and looking up, trying to see what was happening. Between the bright suns and the shade created for Jabba’s box, all he could see was the red slash of his father’s lightsaber and the brief moments it illuminated the Hutt’s guards before slicing through them. No sign of Leia or the droids; hopefully they’d stay out of the line of fire and be able to get out of there.

“Any last words, scum?” Vader said once the screams died down.

“ _I have served the Empire faithfully, what have I done to deserve this?_ ” Jabba whimpered.

“You dared try to enslave _my son_.”

With a final slash of his saber, Jabba’s head fell to the floor with a wet _squelch_ and Luke felt someone’s flare of grim satisfaction so strong it broke through his Force suppressant collar, spearing him for a moment before dissipating back into nothingness. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel like it came from his father…

“ _What is the meaning of this?_ ” Vader snarled.

Luke heard Leia yelp and shouted, “Don’t hurt her!”

Without a word, a moment later Luke felt himself be lifted up and he yelped himself, dropping the pike in surprise. He was set on the floor of the box, stumbling as he accounted for his injured leg, in what was apparently some of the limited non-blood-splattered floorspace and blinked, eyes adjusting to the dim. 

Vader had Leia by one arm and both R2 and 3PO were in the corner, 3PO keeping up a litany of “oh dear, oh my.” Jabba and all his guards were dead, and a quick scan of the bodies showed that Lando was thankfully not among them.

“Did you know, young one?” his father asked.

“Know what?”

“Organa is not who she claims to be. She is not of Alderaan.”

“So what if I was adopted, you scumbag, let me go!” Leia shouted, trying in vain to jerk her arm out of the Sith’s grip.

“That is not what I meant,” he growled. “You are Force-sensitive.”

Leia froze in shock. “I- I’m not, Luke is the Jedi--”

“Luke may be the only one _trained_ , but he is not the only one with an ability. What,” strangely, the man seemed to choke for a moment before composing himself. “What do you know of your birth parents?”

“Why do you care?” she snarled.

Vader shook her. “ _What do you know?_ ”

“Just my mother’s name - Padmé.”

The temperature dropped and Luke shivered, took a step back. Leia looked suddenly afraid, her brave faςade gone.

“Twins…” Vader whispered, then the room exploded. 

The bodies of Jabba and his men flew outwards from the nexus that was Vader and Luke shielded his face with his arms, closing his eyes. He heard the wet sound of the blood and gore slamming against the walls, but didn’t feel any hitting him. Surprised, he lowered his arms and looked around. Everything was bloody except for Luke, Leia, and the droids.

Was that...intentional?

But why would Vader do such a thing? He’d proven time and time again he had no qualms hurting anyone to get to Luke, or even anyone just around Luke. And what did he mean, _twins_? Was Leia…?

No, no, it couldn’t be.

But that would explain the strange affinity they’d had for each other since meeting, how they’d instantly just clicked. He wished he had the Force to confirm it.

Hesitating, but deciding to take the chance, Luke tugged on the collar and asked, “Can- Can you take this thing off me? Please?”

Vader’s helmet tilted towards him, like a predator, and the young Jedi almost wished he hadn’t asked. But if his father cared enough to not hurt his friends, surely he’d--

He yelped as the man simply grabbed his arm and dragged both him and Leia towards the exit without acknowledging his question.

“If you wish to come along, droids, keep up,” he said, not looking at them.

Luke and Leia looked at each other behind Vader’s back, stumbling as they tried to keep up with his fast pace. What did he want with the two of them? They couldn’t be siblings, could they?

He dumped them onto seats on his ship, Luke hissing when his sliced-open back and shoulder made contact, and cuffed them to the wall by one wrist each, powering down the droids with a wave of his hand and leaving them where they’d stopped. Blood dripped from Luke’s wounds onto the leather.

“Explain this, Vader,” Leia demanded, tugging at the cuff uselessly.

“I am your father,” he said bluntly. Leia paled, and Luke furrowed his brow.

“You were stolen from me by Kenobi as children, and presumably split up to make it harder for me to find you. But you are siblings - twins - and my children.”

“What do you want with us?” she asked.

He clenched his fist, then released it. “Once, I had hopes to draw Luke to my side to help me take down the Emperor.”

Luke swallowed, and fiddled with his collar.

“Take this collar off me, and Leia and I can see if we can get the Rebellion to help with the coup. I’m not promising anything after, I don’t want to rule the galaxy, but all this isn’t necessary,” he said, tugging on his own cuff for a moment but stopped, wincing, when it pulled on his injured shoulder.

“No,” Vader said, something he couldn’t quite name in the Sith’s voice, “Palpatine is too strong, and both of you too untrained. He already knows of Luke, and he will soon know of Leia as well.”

He looked at her for a moment, despair written in the tilt of his helmet. 

“It’s too late.”

He backed off, slightly. He didn’t look at Luke.

“He is your master now.”


	2. A Shift In Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "What if Luke was crying during the RotJ duel?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the dialogue is verbatim from RotJ; if you recognize it, it's that.

As Luke watched, a light show of ships exploded outside the window of the second Death Star, most of them Rebels. The Emperor sat behind him on his throne, an oily darkness swirling with barely concealed satisfaction. Beside the throne stood his father, presence locked behind tight shields.

“Your fleet has lost,” the Emperor said, triumph ringing through the Force. “And your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die...as will your friends.”

Luke shook in rage, grief, and something he couldn’t name. He glanced at his lightsaber at the Emperor’s side, then turned back to the window and tried to control his breathing. He was a Jedi. He would not rise to Emperor’s taunts. He would not--

An X-Wing burst into a fiery ball close to the window, the dying scream of the pilot spearing him before their light winked out. Palpatine said something about striking him down that was lost to the rushing in his ears.

Whirling around, he called his lightsaber to his hands and ignited it. He swung at the Emperor, but his blade was blocked by Vader’s--by his _father’s_. He shook harder, but held tightly to his saber and swung again, green clashing with red.

His father.

He’d spent his entire childhood sure that his father was out there in the stars. Sure he was going to come back for him one day. He’d spent his entire childhood clinging to the little he knew about the man, wanting to be just like him. Built his identity around trying to emulate him. How was he supposed to fight him now?

Vader attacked again, interrupting his train of thought, and Luke responded on muscle memory. He knocked Vader’s blade aside and kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards down the stairs. The Sith barely managed to catch himself, drawing the Force around him to rebalance and slow his fall to land semi-gracefully in a crouch. Luke stood at the top of the stairs, breathing heavily.

The Emperor laughed. “Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you.”

Luke startled, and shook himself minutely. What was he doing? Letting anger get the better of him like this was of the dark side. He lowered his blade and breathed slowly, releasing the hate. In its place came that unnameable feeling again, and he trembled.

“Obi-Wan has taught you well,” Vader said.

“I will not fight you, father,” he said, stepping backwards as his father ascended the stairs towards him.

“You are unwise to lower your defenses.”

Vader attacked. They traded several blows before Luke managed to push him back enough to draw the Force to himself and flip upwards, onto the catwalk. He landed on shaking legs and forced them to still, letting excess energy stream off him into the Force like smoke. It still wasn’t enough.

“Your thoughts betray you, father. I feel the good in you, the conflict,” he tried, voice shaking.

“There is no conflict.” Vader’s voice left no room for dissent.

“You couldn’t bring yourself to kill me before, and I don’t believe you’ll destroy me now,” Luke said, and prayed to the Force it was true. He couldn’t focus properly to really read his father’s emotions at the moment, occupied instead with keeping his shields up and stilling his trembling limbs. Darkness from the two Sith swirled around him, searching for a way in.

“You underestimate the power of the dark side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.”  
Vader threw his lightsaber and it cut through the supports holding up the catwalk in a shower of sparks. Luke tumbled to the ground, breath driven out of him before he could scream, his lightsaber rolling away out of sight. He felt more than heard his father stalk forward to search for him, and pushed himself up on shaking arms to _move, move, move_ before he could be found.

He thought he had been ready to face his father, but he wasn’t. Even the knowledge that he had other family in the galaxy didn’t help much. At last he had his father, but the man he’d always longed for, wanted to be, was a monster who had cut off his hand and was _trying to kill him_. Refused to go against the Emperor’s orders for him.

Leaning against a pillar under the dais, he squeezed his eyes shut and put a hand over his mouth to stifle a sob. Shivers wracked his frame despite the temperate air. The poisonous darkness of the Emperor swept over the area like a spotlight, along with the black sun of Vader. Luke wove his own light into the Force, shielding from their gazes.

\--------

Vader heard a quiet sob and snapped his attention toward the sound, intent on his prey.

He strode purposefully towards it, intending to exploit this weakness. The light was dimmer under the dais and he slowed, lightsaber glowing an angry red at his side.

“You cannot hide forever, Luke,” he said, not expecting a response but hoping to draw the boy into speaking. To his surprise, one came, strong as durasteel despite the audible trembling.

“I will not fight you.”

He followed the sound further under the Emperor’s dais, and froze.

Luke, his _son_ , was shaking as if about to fall apart, tears streaming down his face, eyes shut tight. He had a hand - _his prosthetic_ , Vader noted - over his mouth to stifle his crying.

Something in him snapped.

Of course he’d noticed the boy trembling throughout their duel. But seeing his son like this, huddled in on himself in the darkness trying desperately to quiet his own sobs, awakened something within Vader that had remained long dormant, and wanted nothing more than to comfort his son.

He blanketed Luke in the Force, both in an attempt at comfort and to hide him from the Emperor. Almost absentmindedly, he spoke, hoping to distract Sidious.

“Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends.” Reading the edge of his son’s emotions, he continued, “Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for…”

Approaching his son, he crouched down, and stared in shock as one of Luke’s thoughts slipped clearly through their bond.

_Leia, Leia, you were right, I can’t do this, I never should’ve come. I should’ve told you earlier and we could’ve had more time…_

“Sister! So...you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will.”

Luke shook harder, one leg jerking out in a spasm, and he curled in on himself.

A lucky and unexpected surprise. Of course, he mourned the fact that there was another child whose life he had missed out on, but Organa would never accept him as a father. Not after he had tortured her and stood by as her planet was blown up. But the fact that she was Luke’s twin was fortuitous indeed. She would make a wonderful Sith; her blazing anger on both the Senate floor and the Death Star proved that. If he could convince Palpatine she would be better than her brother, perhaps Luke wouldn’t have to turn at all.

Yes, this would work out perfectly.

Turning off his saber, he reached out and cupped Luke’s face in his hand. The boy gasped and opened his eyes, shining with tears, and they widened in fear. He tried to pull away, but was stopped by the pole behind him.

 _Do not worry, my son,_ Vader said in the Force. _All will be well_.

Luke tried to smack his hand away, but hissed when his flesh hand only met metal. He choked on another sob, fear and anguish coloring his signature. Vader grabbed his hand to stop him from hurting himself further and dragged his son’s shaking frame into a restraining hug, muffling his cries in his cape.

Leia would be alright. She had Bail and Breha growing up. But Luke had only ever had his aunt and uncle; he needed his father.

“A sister? What wonderful news, my friend,” Palpatine said. “Twins… Do you know her name, Lord Vader?”

“Yes, master.”

“No,” Luke gasped through his tears.

 _Hush_ , he soothed, but Luke wouldn’t have it. He struggled to escape his father’s hold, to draw on the Force to throw him off, anything, but Vader wrapped his presence tighter around his son’s, blocking him off. _Sleep_.

Luke fell limp in his arms, trembles slowly subsiding as his breaths evened out and he calmed. Vader stood and made his way back up to the Emperor’s throne. Once he reached the top of the steps, he sank to one knee, cradling his son to his chest.

“Pathetic,” Sidious spat, looking disdainfully at the boy.

“My master, I know the identity of his sister. I believe she could be turned, much easier than Luke.”

The old man leaned forward, intrigued. “Oh? And what would you want with the boy, then?”

“He would rather die than turn to the dark side,” Vader said, looking up. “If we can turn his sister, I see no need to try the same with him. There is no one left to make him a Jedi; their blight is gone from the galaxy forever.”

“You wish to keep the boy as a pet,” the Emperor laughed. “Very well, Lord Vader. Bring the sister to me. If she proves to have as much strength as her brother, I suppose he need not turn to the dark side. He can capture the hearts of the people as the Imperial Prince while his sister continues your work in keeping the galaxy in line... Where is she now?”

He reached into the Force, searching for the presence he had come to know on the Death Star. It wasn’t difficult to find. The beginnings of a parental bond had formed with the knowledge that she was his daughter, as it had been when he learned Luke to be his son.

“She is on the moon with the Rebels. It will not be difficult to retrieve her; I have little doubt that she is even aware she’s Force-sensitive.”

And oh, wasn’t that just perfect? It had allowed her to remain hidden in plain sight all those years, and now it would serve to make her fall to the dark side that much faster. Unlike Luke, she had no Jedi teachings to hold her back.

Sidious leaned forward, a glint visible in his yellow eyes. “Retrieve her, then. We will have much to discuss.”

In his arms, Luke shivered and turned his face closer to his father’s chest. He clutched his son tighter.

_This is the happiest day of my life..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed your gift Dot! I'm posting this at my midnight so you see it first thing in the morning but I can't wait to wake up and see your reaction :)


End file.
